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Logan, Ohio – Two new trails just opened in Ohio’s Hocking Hills State Park, adding even more reason for visitors to explore this spectacular natural destination. These newly accessible areas of the park include Whispering Cave which, due to its unusual acoustics, allows a visitor who whispers at one end of this huge cave to be heard clearly by another hiker who stands 275 feet away at Whispering Cave’s other end.

Hemlock Bridge Trail also just opened, connecting to both the Grandma Gatewood (Buckeye) Trail and Cedar Falls. Hemlock Bridge Trail features the park’s first-ever swinging bridge, which carries hikers over Old Man’s Creek at its confluence with Queer Creek, so-named because its water flows in a different direction than expected.

“Now that travelers can access both Whispering Cave and Hemlock Bridge Trail, they have two more beautiful reasons to visit the Hocking Hills,” said Hocking Hills Tourism Association Executive Director Karen Raymore. “Add these to the region’s many active experiences, such as rappelling, kayaking, canopy tours, eco tours, horseback riding, antiquing and other activities, and our visitors typically find they need to extend their stay in order to get it all in.”

Raymore added that access to Hocking Hills State Park’s many natural wonders – including parking – remain free, as Ohio State Parks are among only a few remaining state park systems in the U.S. that do not charge visitors.

Raymore also pointed to the area’s quirky stops like tours of Columbus Washboard Company, the last remaining washboard factory in America, and the Paul A. Johnson Pencil Sharpener Museum as additional attractions that intrigue travelers heading to the Hocking Hills.

Details on the new attractions are easily accessed on the Explore Hocking Hills website, where travelers can plan your trip full of unforgettable excursions, including hiking the region’s miles of wooded trails that take them past breathtaking waterfalls, caves and rock formations.

Located 40 miles southeast of Columbus, Ohio, Hocking Hills offers once-in-a-lifetime experiences that make every day feel like Saturday, with plenty of Admission: FREE activities. The region boasts a wide variety of affordable lodging, from camping, cabins and cottages to hotels and inns. In addition to hiking trails, parks and forests, the Hocking Hills is the Canopy Tour Capital of the Midwest, with 55 ziplines being offered via three distinct guide services. Unique gift and antique shops, canoeing, horseback riding, golf, spas and more add to the allure of the Hocking Hills as the perfect place to unplug. Complete traveler information is available at ExploreHockingHills.com or 1-800-Hocking (800-462-5464).